Jadeveon Clowney was a dominant football talent deemed for NFL stardom even before his junior year at South Carolina. If he had been eligible for the 2013 draft, he would have topped every team’s boards. So why now before the 2014 draft are we trying so hard to find something wrong with his explosive game?

Just maybe the sizzling 40-yard dash he ran at the NFL Combine on Monday (officially 4.53 seconds) will silence questioners of his effort. Then again, they will point to the fact that after saying he planned to do everything at Combine, he only did the sprint and the two jumps (37.5-inch vertical, broad)—even though a hip-flexor injury should be sufficient reason.

Stop it. This is a 6-5, 266-pound man, the most intimidating pass rusher to enter the league in a long time. He’s made a habit of blowing up opponents in college football’s best conference and stands out on any game tape. That didn't change in the past year. Because he was so great in 2012 (13 sacks), naturally opponents changed their game plan to put all their focus on slowing him down in 2013 (3 sacks).

Clowney came back to school for another season only because the NFL still has an archaic rule about draft eligibility. He was banged up with a variety of injuries throughout that junior season. In that case, he was put in the tough situation of doing everything he could to help the Gamecocks win games (which he did), but not overextend himself with a big NFL payday waiting (which he didn’t).

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock prefers Buffalo’s Khalil Mack as an edge-rushing prospect and is worried about some of Clowney’s red flags. But Mayock told reporters Sunday he could care less about what he lifts or runs.